Spring Break
Making it in a 'man's world'
ESPN anchor Cohn lectures about breaking down gender barriers
John Bailey
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: Focus
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But it's not just Cohn's gender that made her a star.
Cohn made one thing clear during her lecture and book signing Tuesday night in the Student Union theater: While the barriers to success may be gendered, the grit and determination required to get there are not.
"Whether you're a guy or a girl, you should always feel like you have to kick butt," said Cohn.
Despite her high-octane personal philosophy, the "SportsCenter" anchor and author of a recent memoir was easygoing on stage, with a straightforward, disarming wit - aided, of course, by her near-celebrity status.
"It was really cool to see someone in person that I'd grown up hearing every morning in high school," said Viraj Godsay, a 2nd-semester pre-pharmacy major.
Mixing the intimidating gleam of professional sportscasting with a storyteller's intimacy, Cohn made the troubles of her career seem, in fact, no trouble at all.
A shy, reclusive youth - "Sports helped me get out of my shell," Cohn said - she grew up around her family's passion for sports, and in her junior year of high school tried out for the boys' ice hockey team. She didn't make it, but she turned some heads - and a year later, she tried again and succeeded.
"I told the coach, 'I'll never let you down' - and that became my driving point," Cohn said.
From there, Cohn's maxim applied to herself most of all; on the road from a lowly anchorship in New York, to a job at ABC, to her current position at ESPN, Cohn never let herself down.
More than anything, said Cohn, a burning interest in sports allowed her to succeed in the "man's world" of sports broadcasting. "I was just as crazy as the guys," said Cohn, noting her fervent, undying support for the New York Rangers.
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